Civilization Beyond the Stars - discontinued

Prologue

The weather cleared, and stillness settled on the battleground as the enemy froze as if stricken with fear. With this distraction, a small flower of hope bloomed for the Lords. Herold sat in the army control room witnessing the unusual scene on the monitors fed by spy bees reporting from the planet Xenon.

The immortuos army had nearly won, they had lost any hope of rescuing this planet but this... was a first.

The lord of Xenon,Tony had been captured, but he had escaped at the first chance he'd got –a coward that he was. The battle was nevertheless just a desperate attempt to save the planet bound to fail like so many others. It was plain from the starting why the immortuos army was after them, they'd been set on destroying this planet for a long time. The direct outbreak forced Tony to come out and defend his planet and Herold to supply the army.

To defeat them was as likely squeezing water from the stone. The reaping of countless other planets one after another had proven this. This war was almost orchestrated, everyone knew the outcome and yet... Herold saw this bizarre scene, unsure of what to make of it. What was it that could stop the immortuos when they carried the whip?

Known as one of the most powerful articles of creation, the whip was the enemy's ultimate weapon. It was what made them unbeatable. A single lash from it was enough to strip a lord of his immortality. It was also the reason because of which Herold faced the prospect of death.

He stared at his reflection on one of the nearby black screen. His once golden-brown locks now white, the wrinkles formed from his furrowed brows and around his frown reminded him of the day he'd longed to forget. The day he'd barely escaped death. The day his planet was ambushed and wiped from its existence. He'd fled, far too afraid to protect his own people. He'd watched the obliteration happen. He'd let his own people die, saw them being brutally murdered. However self-centred and vain it seemed, it was the reason he was breathing today. But it was also why he felt the hollow emptiness of guilt growing in his chest every day too.

"Sir, should we initiate a full-blown attack? The enemy has not recovered yet though they are coming to their senses." asked Commander Tina pulling him out from his cheerless thoughts as the situation on hand unfolded itself.

Examining their current position in the war, it was clear that if they had any opportunity to get the upper hand, it was now.

"Initiate attack sequence 4." Herold replied taking advantage of the unexpected diversion.

It is after a long time that they'd be able to delay a planet's demolition, yet not without unusual help. The Lords would discuss this. "We will hold an informal council tomorrow morning, Tina. Inform the Lords about it and confirm Tony's presence." ordered Herold, getting up to leave the room.

Eleven lords, eleven living planets was all they had left now. Centuries ago, there'd been thousands, but all of them fell and were captured, victims to the merciless immortuos army. Platin was the first planet subjected to this fate, and that was because of its huge population. Humanity attracts these soulless beings, they crave to destroy it.

According to this, the next one to be destroyed would be...Earth.

Herold would have to inform Zale, the Lord for Earth about this. He was a courageous and determined person but somehow Herold doubted that he would be the savior.

Perhaps this extraordinary incident was an indicator to when the prophecy would come true. Everyone hopes that the saviour would come before it's too late.